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"Southland" Gets Cancelled!

Remember how last week I told you that Clifton Collins Jr. would be replacing Amaury Nolasco as Regina King’s partner on Southland? Well, it turns out neither Collins Jr. nor Nolasco will become a regular on the NBC drama this fall. The series, sadly, has just been cancelled.

EOnline TV blogger Kristin Dos Santos writes that the plug has been pulled on the show: “Sources confirm that a certain NBC show many of you fans love has just been cancelled.” Dos Santos warns that news of the show's rumored cancellation has not been confirmed by NBC reps, but adds that Southland star Michael Cudlitz is mad as hell and is not going to take it anymore. Apparently, Cudlitz took to Twitter to talk about his frustrations over the cancellation of his show: "Don't go quietly. People need to know when they f--k up this big. Saw ep 2.1...Dumb f--king people. Call NBC and ask them where the promos are. I am serious." Them’s fightin’ words!

TV insider Korbi Ghosh says that the six new episodes of the series (which have already been produced for this fall) will probably not be aired: ”It doesn’t look like audiences will be seeing them any time soon.” Ghosh adds that while there is no official word as to why the series was cancelled, the rumor is that NBC “feels Dateline—which is now airing in what would have been the drama’s time slot—is more reliable and will deliver more consistent ratings.”

Southland, a gritty, realistic drama that depicts the dangerous world of L.A. crime, is a superb drama that doesn’t deserve to be treated this way by NBC (who, by the way, also canceled My Name Is Earl earlier this year despite the protests of many die-hard fans). The series boasts an incredible, dynamic cast of gifted actors, including The OC’s Ben McKenzie in a star-making role, Jerry Maguire’s Regina King and Latin actor Kevin Alejandro.

However, I cannot act like I didn't see this coming. The show has had its share of problems for months now. In late August, Ew.com’sMichael Ausiello reported that the premiere of the show’s second season had been pushed back almost a month from Sept. 25 to Oct. 23, prompting some critics to worry that things weren’t going smoothly for the show. Then, last week, when the news broke that Nolasco would be replaced by Collins Jr, it seemed like once again there were problems on set. I hate to say it, but I feel like Ugly Betty (whose new season was also postponed by a month, and, like Southland, is scheduled to air on Friday nights) is next to get cancelled. Don't say I didn't warn you.